Last Sacrifice Chapter Fifteen

I DIDN'T LIKE TO SEE Victor Dashkov proven right. But, oh, was he ever. With Lissa's proclamation, the room that had been holding its breath suddenly exploded. I wondered if there had ever been a peaceful Council session in Moroi history or if I just kept coincidentally tuning into controversial ones. What followed today reminded me a lot of the day the dhampir age decree had passed. Shouting, arguments, people out of their chairs †¦ Guardians who normally lined the walls and watched were out among the people, looks of concern on their faces as they prepared for any disputes that might go beyond words. As quickly as Lissa had been at the center of everything, the room seemed to forget her. She sat back down, and Christian found her hand again. She squeezed it tightly, so much so I wondered if she was cutting off his circulation. She stared straight ahead, still reeling. Her mind wasn't focused on all the chaos, but everything her eyes and ears perceived came through to me. Really, the only attention my friends received was when Daniella came over and scolded Adrian for nominating outside his family. He shrugged it off in his usual way, and she huffed off, realizing–like many of us–that there was really no point in trying to reason with Adrian. You'd think that in a room where everyone was scrambling to push their own family's advantage, every single person would therefore be arguing that Lissa's nomination was invalid. That wasn't the case, however–particularly because not everyone in the room was royal. Just as I'd noted earlier, Moroi from all over had come to witness the events that would determine their future. And a number of them were watching this Dragomir girl with interest, this princess from a dying line who could allegedly work miracles. They weren't ravenously chanting her name, but many were in the thick of the arguments, saying she had every right to step up for her family. Part of me also suspected that some of her â€Å"common' supporters simply liked the idea of thwarting the royal agenda. The young couple that had been harassed by Lady Badica weren't the only ones there who'd been pushed around by their â€Å"betters.' Most surprisingly, there were some royals speaking up for Lissa too. They might be loyal to their own families, but not all of them were heartless, selfish connivers. Many had a sense of right and wrong–and if Lissa had the law on her side, then she was in the right. Plus, lots of royals simply liked and respected her. Ariana was one person who advocated for Lissa's nomination, despite the competition it created. Ariana knew the law well and undoubtedly realized the loophole that allowed Lissa to run would fail when election time came. Still, Ariana stood her ground, which endeared her to me even more. When the real voting did come, I hoped Ariana would win the crown. She was intelligent and fair–exactly what the Moroi needed. Of course, Ariana wasn't the only one who knew the law. Others picked up on the loophole and argued the nomination of a candidate that no one could vote for was pointless. Normally, I would have agreed. On and on the debate raged while my friends sat quietly in the hurricane's eye. At long last, the matter was settled the way most decisions should be: through voting. With Lissa still denied her Council seat, that left eleven members to determine her future. Six of them approved her candidacy, making it official. She could run. I suspected some of those who voted for her didn't truly want her running, but their respect for the law prevailed. Many Moroi didn't care what the Council said. They made it clear they considered this matter far from over, proving what Victor had said: this was going to rage on for a while, getting worse if she actually passed the tests and made it to the voting stages. For now, the crowd dispersed, seeming relieved–not only because they wanted to escape the yelling but also because they wanted to spread this sensational news. Lissa continued saying little as she and our friends left. Walking past the gawkers, she remained a model of regality and calmness, like she'd already been declared queen. But when she finally escaped it all and was back in her room with the others, all those locked-up, frozen feelings exploded. â€Å"What the hell were you guys thinking?' she yelled. â€Å"What have you done to me?' Along with Adrian, Christian, and Eddie, the rest of the conspirators had shown up: Tasha, Abe, and my mom. All of them were so completely stunned by this reaction from sweet Lissa that none of them could reply now. Lissa took advantage of their silence. â€Å"You set me up! You've put me in the middle of a political nightmare! Do you think I want this? Do you really think I want to be queen?' Abe recovered first, naturally. â€Å"You won't be queen,' he said, voice uncharacteristically soothing. â€Å"The people arguing about the other part of the law are right: no one can actually vote for you. You need family for that.' â€Å"Then what's the point?' she exclaimed. She was furious. She had every right to be. But that outrage, that anger †¦ it was fueled by something worse than this situation alone. Spirit was coming to claim its price and making her even more upset than she would have been. â€Å"The point,' said Tasha, â€Å"is everything crazy you just saw in the Council room. For every argument, for every time someone drags out the law books again, we have more time to save Rose and find out who killed Tatiana.' â€Å"Whoever did it must have an interest in the throne,' explained Christian. He rested a hand on Lissa's shoulder, and she jerked away. â€Å"Either for themselves or someone they know. The longer we delay their plans, the more time we have to find out who it is.' Lissa raked her hands through her long hair in frustration. I tried to pull that coil of fury from her, taking it into myself. I succeeded a little, enough that she dropped her hands to her side. But she was still pissed off. â€Å"How am I supposed to look for the murderer when I'm tied up doing all those stupid tests?' she demanded. â€Å"You won't be looking,' said Abe. â€Å"We will.' Her eyes widened. â€Å"That was never part of the plan! I'm not going to jump through royal hoops when Rose needs me. I want to help her!' It was almost comical. Almost. Neither Lissa nor I could handle â€Å"sitting around' when we thought the other needed our help. We wanted to be out there, actively doing what we could to fix the situation. â€Å"You are helping her,' said Christian. His hand twitched, but he didn't try to touch her again. â€Å"It's in a different way than you expected, but in the end, it's going to help her.' The same argument everyone kept using on me. It also made her just as angry as it had made me, and I desperately tugged at the wave of instability spirit kept sending through her. Lissa peered around the room, looking accusingly at each face. â€Å"Who in the world thought of this idea?' More uncomfortable silence followed. â€Å"Rose did,' said Adrian at last. Lissa spun around and glared at him. â€Å"She did not! She wouldn't do this to me!' â€Å"She did,' he said. â€Å"I talked to her in a dream. It was her idea, and †¦ it was a good one.' I didn't really like how that seemed to come as a surprise to him. â€Å"Besides, you kind of put her in a bad situation too. She kept going on about how much the town she's in sucks.' â€Å"Okay,' snapped Lissa, ignoring the part about my plight. â€Å"Supposing that's true, that Rose passes this â€Å"brilliant' idea on to you, then why didn't anyone bother to tell me? Didn't you think a little warning might help?' Again, it was just like me complaining about how my jailbreak had been kept a secret from me. â€Å"Not really,' said Adrian. â€Å"We figured you'd react exactly like this and have time to plan a refusal. We kind of gambled that if you were caught on the spot, you'd accept.' â€Å"That was kind of risky,' she said. â€Å"But it worked,' came Tasha's blunt response. â€Å"We knew you'd come through for us.' She winked. â€Å"And for what it's worth, I think you'd make a great queen.' Lissa gave her a sharp look, and I made one more attempt to drag away some of the darkness. I concentrated on those churning emotions, imagining them in me instead of her. I didn't pull it all but managed enough to take the fight out of her. Rage suddenly flared in me, blinding me momentarily, but I was able to push it off to a corner of my mind. She suddenly felt exhausted. I kind of did too. â€Å"The first test is tomorrow,' she said quietly. â€Å"If I fail it, I'm out. The plan falls apart.' Christian made another attempt to put his arm around her, and this time, she let him. â€Å"You won't.' Lissa didn't say anything else, and I could see the relief on everyone's faces. No one believed for a second she liked this, but they seemed to think she wasn't going to withdraw her nomination, which was as much as they could hope for. My mother and Eddie had said nothing this entire time. As was common for guardians, they'd kept to the background, remaining shadows while Moroi business was conducted. With the initial storm passing over, my mother stepped forward. She nodded toward Eddie. â€Å"One of us is going to try to stay near you at all times.' â€Å"Why?' asked Lissa, startled. â€Å"Because we know there's someone out there who isn't afraid to kill to get what they want,' said Tasha. She nodded toward Eddie and my mom. â€Å"These two and Mikhail are really the only guardians we can trust.' â€Å"Are you sure?' Abe gave Tasha a sly look. â€Å"I'm surprised you didn't get your special guardian â€Å"friend' on board.' â€Å"What special friend?' demanded Christian, instantly picking up on the insinuation. Tasha, to my astonishment, flushed. â€Å"Just a guy I know.' â€Å"Who follows you with puppy-dog eyes,' continued Abe. â€Å"What's his name? Evan?' â€Å"Ethan,' she corrected. My mother, looking exasperated by such ridiculous talk, promptly put an end to it– which was just as well since Christian looked like he had a few things to say. â€Å"Leave her alone,' she warned Abe. â€Å"We don't have time for it. Ethan's a good guy, but the fewer people who know about this, the better. Since Mikhail has a permanent post, Eddie and I will do security.' I agreed with all of what she'd just said, but it struck me that to get my mother on board, someone–probably Abe–had filled her in on all the illicit activity that had occurred recently. He was either really convincing or she loved me a lot. Grudgingly, I suspected both were true. When Moroi were at Court, their guardians didn't need to accompany them everywhere, meaning my mom would most likely be free of her assignment while Lord Szelsky stayed here. Eddie didn't have an assignment yet, which also gave him flexibility. Lissa started to say something else when a sharp jolt in my own reality snapped me away from her. â€Å"Sorry,' said Sydney. Her slamming on the brakes was what had brought me back. â€Å"That jerk cut me off.' It wasn't Sydney's fault, but I felt irritated at the interruption and wanted to yell at her. With a deep breath, I reminded myself that I was simply feeling spirit's side effects and that I couldn't allow it to make me act irrationally. It would fade, like always, yet some part of me knew I couldn't keep taking that darkness from Lissa forever. I wouldn't always be able to control it. Now that I was back to myself, I looked out the windows, taking in our new surroundings. We weren't in the mountains anymore. We'd reached an urban area, and while the traffic was hardly heavy (seeing as it was still the middle of the human night), there were definitely more cars on the road than we'd seen in a while. â€Å"Where are we?' I asked. â€Å"Outskirts of Lexington,' Sydney said. She pulled over to a nearby gas station, both to refill and so we could plug Donovan's address into her GPS. His place was about five miles away. â€Å"Not a great part of town, from what I hear,' Dimitri said. â€Å"Donovan runs a tattoo parlor that's only open at night. A couple of other Strigoi work with him. They get partiers, drunk kids †¦ the kind of people that can easily disappear. The kind Strigoi love.' â€Å"Seems like the police would eventually notice that every time someone went for a tattoo, they disappeared,' I pointed out. Dimitri gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Well, the â€Å"funny' thing is that they don't kill everyone who comes in. They actually give tattoos to some of them and let them go. They smuggle drugs through the place too.' I regarded him curiously, as Sydney slipped back into the car. â€Å"You sure know a lot.' â€Å"I made it my business to know a lot, and Strigoi have to keep a roof over their heads too. I actually met Donovan once and got most of this straight from the source. I just didn't know where exactly he worked out of until now.' â€Å"Okay, so, we've got the info on him. What do we do with it?' â€Å"Lure him out. Send in a â€Å"customer' with a message from me needing to meet him. I'm not the kind of person he can ignore–well, that he used to not–never mind. Once he's out, we get him to a place we choose.' I nodded. â€Å"I can do that.' â€Å"No,' said Dimitri. â€Å"You can't.' â€Å"Why not?' I asked, wondering if he thought it was too dangerous for me. â€Å"Because they'll know you're a dhampir the instant they see you. They'll probably smell it first. No Strigoi would have a dhampir working for him–only humans.' There was an uncomfortable silence in the car. â€Å"No!' said Sydney. â€Å"I am not doing that!' Dimitri shook his head. â€Å"I don't like it either, but we don't have a lot of options. If he thinks you work for me, he won't hurt you.' â€Å"Yeah? And what happens if he doesn't believe me?' she demanded. â€Å"I don't think he can take the chance. He'll probably go with you to check things out, with the idea that if you're lying, they'll just kill you then.' This didn't seem to make her feel any better. She groaned. â€Å"You can't send her in,' I said. â€Å"They'll know she's an Alchemist. One of those wouldn't work for Strigoi either.' Surprisingly, Dimitri hadn't considered that. We grew quiet again, and it was Sydney who unexpectedly came up with a solution. â€Å"When I was inside the gas station,' she said slowly, â€Å"they had, like, one rack of makeup. We could probably cover most of my tattoo up with powder.' And we did. The only compact the station sold wasn't a great match for her skin tone, but we caked enough of it on to obscure the golden lily on her cheek. Brushing her hair forward helped a little. Satisfied we'd done all we could, we headed off to Donovan's. It was indeed in a rundown part of town. A few blocks away from the tattoo parlor, we spotted what looked like a nightclub, but otherwise, the neighborhood appeared deserted. I wasn't fooled, though. This was no place you'd want to walk around alone at night. It screamed â€Å"mugging.' Or worse. We checked out the area until Dimitri found a spot he felt good about. It was a back alley two buildings away from the parlor. A gnarled wired fence stood on one side while a low brick building flanked the other. Dimitri instructed Sydney on how to lead the Strigoi to us. She took it all in, nodding along, but I could see the fear in her eyes. â€Å"You want to look awed,' he told her. â€Å"Humans who serve Strigoi worship them– they're eager to please. Since they're around Strigoi so much, they aren't as startled or terrified. Still a little afraid, of course, but not as much as you look now.' She swallowed. â€Å"I can't really help it.' I felt bad for her. She strongly believed all vampires were evil, and we were sending her into a nest of the worst kind, putting her at great risk. I knew also that she'd only ever seen one live Strigoi, and despite Dimitri's coaching, seeing more could completely shell shock her. If she froze in front of Donovan, everything could fall apart. On impulse, I gave her a hug. To my surprise, she didn't resist. â€Å"You can do this,' I said. â€Å"You're strong–and they're too afraid of Dimitri. Okay?' After a few deep breaths, Sydney nodded. We gave her a few more encouraging words, and then she turned the corner of the building, heading toward the street, and disappeared from our sight. I glanced at Dimitri. â€Å"We may have just sent her to her death.' His face was grim. â€Å"I know–but we can't do anything now. You'd better get into position.' With his help, I managed to make it onto the roof of the low building. There was nothing intimate in the way he hoisted me up, but I couldn't help but have the same electric feeling all contact with him caused or note how easily we worked together. Once I was securely positioned, Dimitri headed for the opposite side of the building Sydney had gone around. He lurked just around the corner, and then there was nothing to do but wait. It was agonizing–and not just because we were on the verge of a fight. I kept thinking about Sydney, what we'd asked her to do. My job was to protect the innocent from evil–not thrust them into the middle of it. What if our plan failed? Several minutes passed, and I finally heard footsteps and muttered voices at the same time a familiar wave of nausea moved through me. We'd pulled the Strigoi out. Three of them walked around the building's corner, Sydney in the lead. They came to a halt, and I spotted Donovan. He was the tallest–a former Moroi–with dark hair and a beard that reminded me of Abe's. Dimitri had given me his description so I wouldn't (hopefully) kill him. Donovan's henchmen hovered behind him, all of them alert and on guard. I tensed, my stake gripped tightly in my right hand. â€Å"Belikov?' demanded Donovan, voice harsh. â€Å"Where are you?' â€Å"I'm here,' came Dimitri's response–in that cold, terrible Strigoi voice. He appeared from around the building's opposite corner, keeping to the shadows. Donovan relaxed slightly, recognizing Dimitri–but even in darkness, Dimitri's true appearance materialized. Donovan went rigid–suddenly seeing a threat, even if it was one that confused him and defied what he knew. At the exact same moment, one of his guys jerked his head around. â€Å"Dhampirs!' he exclaimed. It wasn't Dimitri's features that tipped him off. It was our scent, and I breathed a silent prayer of thanks that it had taken them this long to notice. Then, I leapt off the roof. It wasn't an easy distance to jump–but not one that would kill me. Plus, my fall was broken by a Strigoi. I landed on one of Donovan's guys, knocking him to the ground. I aimed my stake at his heart, but his reflexes were quick. With my lighter weight, I was easy to shove off. I'd expected it and managed to keep my footing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sydney dropping low and hurrying off out of here, per our instructions. We wanted her away from the crossfire and had told her to go to the car, readying herself to take off if things went bad. Of course, with Strigoi, things were always bad. Donovan and his other guy had both gone for Dimitri, assessing him as the greater threat. My opponent, judging from his fanged smile, didn't seem to regard me as a threat at all. He lunged toward me, and I dodged away, but not before snaking out a kick that took him in the knee. My hit didn't seem to hurt him, but it did ruin his balance. I made another strike at staking and was thrown off again, hitting the ground hard. My bare legs scraped against the rough cement, tearing skin. Because my jeans had grown too dirty and torn, I'd been forced to wear a pair of shorts from the backpack Sydney had brought me. I ignored the pain, shooting right back up with speed the Strigoi didn't expect. My stake found his heart. The hit wasn't as hard as I would have liked, but it was enough to throw him off, then allowing me to drive the stake in further and finish him. Not even waiting to see him fall, I jerked my stake out and turned toward the othe rs. I hadn't hesitated once in the battle I'd just fought, but now, I paused at what I saw. Dimitri's face. It was †¦ terrifying. Ferocious. He'd had a similar look when he'd defended me at my arrest–that badass warrior god expression that said he could take on hell itself. The way he looked now †¦ well, it took that fierceness to a whole new level. This was personal, I realized. Fighting these Strigoi wasn't just about finding Sonya and helping Lissa. This was about redemption, an attempt to destroy his past by destroying the evil directly in his path. I moved to join him, just as he staked the second henchman. There was power in that strike, much more power than Dimitri needed as he shoved the Strigoi against the brick wall and pierced his heart. It was impossible, but I could imagine that stake going straight through the body and into the wall. Dimitri put more attention and effort into that kill than he should have. He should have responded like I had and immediately turned to the next threat, once the Strigoi was dead. Instead, Dimitri was so fixated on his victim that he didn't notice Donovan taking advantage of the situation. Fortunately for Dimitri, I had his back. I slammed my body into Donovan's, shoving him away from Dimitri. As I did, I saw Dimitri pull out his stake and then slam the body against the wall again. Meanwhile, I'd successfully drawn Donovan's attention and was now having a difficult time eluding him without killing him. â€Å"Dimitri!' I yelled. â€Å"Come help me. I need you!' I couldn't see what Dimitri was doing, but a few seconds later, he was by my side. With what almost sounded like a roar, he leapt at Donovan, stake out, and knocked the Strigoi to the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief and moved in to help with the restraint. Then, I saw Dimitri line up his stake with Donovan's heart. â€Å"No!' I dropped to the ground, trying to both hold Donovan and push away Dimitri's arm. â€Å"We need him! Don't kill him!' From the look on Dimitri's face, it was unclear if he even heard me. There was death in his eyes. He wanted to kill Donovan. The desire had suddenly taken precedence. Still trying to hold Donovan with one arm, I smacked Dimitri in the face with my other hand–going for the side I hadn't punched the other night. I don't think he felt the pain in his adrenaline rage, but the hit got his attention. â€Å"Don't kill him!' I repeated. The command made it through to Dimitri. Our struggle, unfortunately, gave Donovan maneuvering room. He started to break free of us, but then, as one, Dimitri and I threw ourselves into holding Donovan. I was reminded of the time I'd questioned Strigoi in Russia. It had taken a whole group of dhampirs to restrain one Strigoi, but Dimitri seemed to have unnatural strength. â€Å"When we were interrogating, we used to–‘ My words were interrupted when Dimitri decided to utilize his own method of interrogation. He gripped Donovan by the shoulders and shook him hard, causing the Strigoi to keep hitting his head against the cement. â€Å"Where is Sonya Karp?' roared Dimitri. â€Å"I don't–‘ began Donovan. But Dimitri had no patience for Strigoi evasion. â€Å"Where is she? I know you know her!' â€Å"I–‘ â€Å"Where is she?' I saw something on Donovan's face that I'd never seen in a Strigoi before: fear. I'd thought it was an emotion they simply didn't possess. Or, if they did, it was only in the battles they fought with one another. They wouldn't waste time with fear around lowly dhampirs. But oh, Donovan was scared of Dimitri. And to be honest, I was too. Those red-ringed eyes were wide–wide, desperate, and terrified. When Donovan blurted out his next words, something told me they were true. His fear wasn't giving him a chance to lie. He was too shocked and unprepared by all of this. â€Å"Paris,' he gasped out. â€Å"She's in Paris!' â€Å"Christ,' I exclaimed. â€Å"We cannot road trip to Paris.' Donovan shook his head (in as much as he could with Dimitri shaking him in return). â€Å"It's a small town–an hour away. There's this tiny lake. Hardly anyone on it. Blue house.' Vague directions. We needed more. â€Å"Do you have an addr–‘ Dimitri apparently didn't share my need for more information. Before I could finish speaking, his stake was out–and in Donovan's heart. The Strigoi made a horrible, blood-curdling scream that faded as death took him. I winced. How long until someone heard all this and called the police? Dimitri pulled his stake out–and then stabbed Donovan again. And again. I stared in disbelief and horror, frozen for a few moments. Then, I grabbed Dimitri's arm and began shaking him, though I felt like I would have had more effect shaking the building behind me. â€Å"He's dead, Dimitri! He's dead! Stop this. Please.' Dimitri's face still wore that terrible, terrible expression–rage, now marked with a bit of desperation. Desperation that told him if he could only obliterate Donovan, then maybe he could obliterate everything else bad in his life. I didn't know what to do. We had to get out of here. We had to get Sydney to disintegrate the bodies. Time was ticking, and I just kept repeating myself. â€Å"He's dead! Let it go. Please. He's dead.' Then, somewhere, somehow, I broke through to Dimitri. His motions slowed and finally stopped. The hand holding the stake dropping weakly to his side as he stared at what was left of Donovan–which wasn't pretty. The rage on Dimitri's face completely gave way to desperation †¦ and then that gave way to despair. I tugged gently on his arm. â€Å"It's over. You've done enough.' â€Å"It's never enough, Roza,' he whispered. The grief in his voice killed me. â€Å"It'll never be enough.' â€Å"It is for now,' I said. I pulled him to me. Unresisting, he let go of his stake and buried his face against my shoulder. I dropped my stake as well and embraced him, drawing him closer. He wrapped his arms around me in return, seeking the contact of another living being, the contact I'd long known he needed. â€Å"You're the only one.' He clung more tightly to me. â€Å"The only one who understands. The only one who saw how I was. I could never explain it to anyone †¦ you're the only one. The only one I can tell this to †¦' I closed my eyes for a moment, overpowered by what he was saying. He might have sworn allegiance to Lissa, but that didn't mean he'd fully revealed his heart to her. For so long, he and I had been in perfect sync, always understanding each other. That was still the case, no matter if we were together, no matter if I was with Adrian. Dimitri had always kept his heart and feelings guarded until meeting me. I thought he'd locked them back up, but apparently, he still trusted me enough to reveal what was killing him inside. I opened my eyes and met his dark, earnest gaze. â€Å"It's okay,' I said. â€Å"It's okay now. I'm here. I'll always be here for you.' â€Å"I dream about them, you know. All the innocents I killed.' His eyes drifted back to Donovan's body. â€Å"I keep thinking †¦ maybe if I destroy enough Strigoi, the nightmares will go away. That I'll be certain I'm not one of them.' I touched his chin, turning his face back toward mine and away from Donovan. â€Å"No. You have to destroy Strigoi because they're evil. Because that's what we do. If you want the nightmares to go away, you have to live. That's the only way. We could have died just now. We didn't. Maybe we'll die tomorrow. I don't know. What matters is that we're alive now.' I was rambling at this point. I had never seen Dimitri so low, not since his restoration. He'd claimed being Strigoi had killed so many of his emotions. It hadn't. They were there, I realized. Everything he had been was still inside, only coming out in bursts–like this moment of rage and despair. Or when he'd defended me from the arresting guardians. The old Dimitri wasn't gone. He was just locked away, and I didn't know how to let him out. This wasn't what I did. He was always the one with words of wisdom and insight. Not me. Still, he was listening now. I had his attention. What could I say? What could get through to him? â€Å"Remember what you said earlier?' I asked. â€Å"Back in Rubysville? Living is in the details. You've got to appreciate the details. That's the only way to defeat what the Strigoi did to you. The only way to bring back who you really are. You said it yourself: you escaped with me to feel the world again. Its beauty.' Dimitri started to turn toward Donovan again, but I wouldn't let him. â€Å"There's nothing beautiful here. Only death.' â€Å"That's only true if you let them make it true,' I said desperately, still feeling the press of time. â€Å"Find one thing. One thing that's beautiful. Anything. Anything that shows you're not one of them.' His eyes were back on me, studying my face silently. Panic raced through me. It wasn't working. I couldn't do this. We were going to have to get out of here, regardless of whatever state he was in. I knew he'd leave, too. If I'd learned anything, it was that Dimitri's warrior instincts were still working. If I said danger was coming, he would respond instantly, no matter the self-torment he felt. I didn't want that, though. I didn't want him to leave in despair. I wanted him to leave here one step closer to being the man I knew he could be. I wanted him to have one less nightmare. It was beyond my abilities, though. I was no therapist. I was about to tell him we had to get out there, about to make his soldier reflexes kick in, when he suddenly spoke. His voice was barely a whisper. â€Å"Your hair.' â€Å"What?' For a second, I wondered if it was on fire or something. I touched a stray lock. No, nothing wrong except that it was a mess. I'd bound it up for battle to prevent the Strigoi from using it as a handhold, like Angeline had. Much of it had come undone in the struggle, though. â€Å"Your hair,' repeated Dimitri. His eyes were wide, almost awestruck. â€Å"Your hair is beautiful.' I didn't think so, not in its current state. Of course, considering we were in a dark alley filled with bodies, the choices were kind of limited. â€Å"You see? You're not one of them. Strigoi don't see beauty. Only death. You found something beautiful. One thing that's beautiful.' Hesitantly, nervously, he ran his fingers along the strands I'd touched earlier. â€Å"But is it enough?' â€Å"It is for now.' I pressed a kiss to his forehead and helped him stand. â€Å"It is for now.'

Health Benefits of Cigars

Health Benefits of Cigars From the prehistoric times to voyages to the new world, cigars and tobacco have been used in varied methods that are important to man, and one of them is the various Health Benefits of using cigars. These benefits are as follows: Beneficial for Alzheimer’s Patients Studies since the 1900’s have shown that nicotine imitates a certain part of the brain called neurotransmitters and is known to affect an abundant number of this important part of the brain. Research has shown the effect of nicotine to increased brain function.As Alzheimer’s is characterized by affected neurons in the basal forebrain linked with loss of nicotinic receptors, it was found out that nicotine have important effects to this cells, increasing not only the regulation of flow of blood in the brain but also cognition.. Control effects of Tourette’s Syndrome Data from a recent study showed that nicotine can control the effects of Tourette’s syndrome; these effects are characterized by physical tics and uncontrollable vocalizations which are often filled with obscenities.A series of case studies showed long-term control of tics, vocalizations and other symptoms by the effect of nicotine, the active ingredient in cigars. Stabilize patients with Schizophrenia New data indicating that nicotine can regulate some of the psychophysiological symptoms seen in patients with schizophrenia have been uncovered in recent studies in patients who are suffering from schizophrenia. This disease is very hard to understand and to treat, that is why understanding the effect of nicotine this illness is crucial. Good Memory and CognitionThe effect of smoking cigars not only encompasses persons suffering from diseases of the neurons in the brain but also the normal and healthy person. Clinical studies have shown that effect of nicotine to non-smoking persons produces significant improvements in long-term recall and attention span. Analgesic Research has show n that the active ingredient in cigars, which is nicotine, has an effect that relaxes muscles. Its effect on the peripheral nervous systems is very much alike to analgesics so cigars, in case of emergencies can be used as pain relievers.Control Intestinal Parasites and Worms Cigars can be used to control some intestinal parasites and worms, ingesting small amount of cigar, the equivalent of 1-1. 5 of cigarette, can be used to kill this parasites. After 24 hours of ingesting the cigar, passing of the parasites can be noticed due to toxic effect of nicotine to the parasites. Stress Relief Most cigar smokers will tell you that cigars help them relax and ease the tension and stress after a hard day’s work.Stress is associated with many illnesses such as hypertension, migraines and others, and should not be taken lightly. The effect of cigars is very important to lower the stress levels of a person. Appetite and Diet It is known that small doses of cigar smoking stimulate appetite and large doses can depress hunger and thirst. By using one product, in this case cigars, people can have their desired effect on their appetite, either dieting or gaining some pounds.

Amusement Parks Essay Example for Free (#3)

Amusement Parks Essay * A rushing Feeling of anticipation and excitement takes over you as you’re taking the journey through the maze called the parking lot. * Arrive at destination and a million things trickle in your head similar to look how big this place is or which rides should I attend to first and many more. * Theme parks are a sense of liveliness. * Everywhere you look; crowds of people are in high-spirits and have a bundle of energy. * Children and teens of all ages dash over to rides to get in the front row. * There is laughter, people talking, people happy or down. * Kids tugging on their parents clothes to beg for things they want. â€Å"Mommy can I go on this ride?† * The main attractions are mainly the roller coasters and rides. This includes rides that twist, turn, flip, sling, go fast, go slow, and sometimes get you soaked in water. * Amusement Parks are so massive that people can get lost. * They provide maps that have pictures and the title of the certain events or places of the park this way people know where they want to go first and how to get out. * Some theme parks not only have rides but tamed and trained animals that can do tricks to entertain the audience and then there are animals that are behind glass windows casually walking around or doing something with their partners in the area they sleep in. Amusement Parks. (2017, Feb 03).

Woodlice Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Woodlice - Lab Report Example They have a shell like exoskeleton which progressively shed as they grow. The shedding occurs in two stages were the back half sheds first followed by the front part later usually after two to three days later as opposed to the way moulting process occurs to other antropoda where the cuticle are shed in a single process. Metabolic rate is temperature dependent in woodlice which is in contrast to mammals and bird where their rate of respiration depends directly to the external environmental temperatures (Jordan 100). Woodlice are claimed to have unpleasant taste like that of a urine despite been a crustacean which is different from the taste of other crustacean like lobsters or crabs. Woodlice breathe through their plepodal lungs and live in terrestrial environment usually damp or dark places to reduce the rapid rate at which they lose water through their cuticle and excretion (Sutton, Stephen, Paul, and David 67). Although woodlice are preyed by a wide range of insectivores itâ€℠¢s the spiders that prey on them exclusively. This experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the variation of traits and the natural selection and the hypothesis of this experiment was that the predator preying on the woodlice determine the speed of woodlice to be found in an environment (Smith, SiaÌ‚n 98). The length and dorsal plate in all woodlice was measured using a microscope and recorded. The speed of three woodlice was obtained by taking two rulers to measure the distance and then assorted utensils for simulating predation and to mimic a predator was simulated and the timer was set from the time all the three woodlice started moving until they all reach the end of the two rulers and then recorded in seconds. Woodlice where placed in large specimen dishes and the predator for this experiment which was a spider was simulated RESULTS The woodlice traits were varying as like were the highest standard deviation error was obtained from the speed and the lowest standard deviation error was obtained from the length while the standard deviation error was zero as illustrated in table(1) below Trait Dorsal plate number Speed (seconds/10 cm) Length (cm) Color (values using soil color chart) Mean 7 21.20833333 0.991666667 5.083333333 Standard Deviation 0 +10.29131828 +0.21450989 +1.248187091 Standard Deviation Error 0 +2.100706547 +0.043786648 +0.254785123 Table (1) showing traits, mean, standard deviation and standard deviation error of woodlice In the frequency distribution below blue represents the total number of woodlice while the red represent the number of woodlice that survived after the predator was unleashed. From the graph the number of survived population is higher than the total populati on between the speeds of 1-20 and the same is exhibited between the speeds of 21-40 and between the speeds of 61-80 but between the speeds of 41-60 no woodlice survived. Frequency distribution of woodlice characterized by speed DISCUSSION From the table and the frequency distribution above it is clearly that there is a relationship between the population of woodlice that survived the experiment and their speed. Woodlice that were much fast and those that are somehow slower survived more compared to those that were of average speed as none of them survived and also the predator

Summary Report Assignment - The World is Flat Essay

Summary Report Assignment - The World is Flat - Essay Example instead embrace these changes as a means of further specializing the work force and using these elements of a flat world to the competitive advantage of the skilled worker in the United States; to the same degree and extent to which skilled workers elsewhere throughout the globe are using the talents and skill sets of laborers elsewhere to promote industry and development. A further focus is placed upon seeking to make retirement benefits and insurance less dependent upon the actual employer and more dependent upon the government. This prescription is rather strange as Friedman can otherwise be understood as a laissez faire economist; however, this particular approach is one that allows the reader to come to the understanding that even though the economic principles that he supports and promotes are fiscally conservative, there is a strain of economic liberalism in his approach. This of course makes his view more balanced and palatable to those that might otherwise by put off by his more hands off approach to global

Friends of Angelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Friends of Angelo - Essay Example One of those programs he created was the friends of Angelo program. Through this program the firm offered rates that were below market value. Angelo used this program as a way to benefit politicians, friends, and other executives in the industry including Fannie Mae executives. Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad were among the VIPs who received sweetheart mortgages under the Friends of Angelo program (Wsj, 2009). The existence of this program in the banking industry was very unethical. The societal implications of this scandal were significant. The actions of Countrywide were a contributing factor to the financial crisis that occurred in 2008. Between 2008 and 2009 there were 8.4 million job lost in the United States (Stateofworkingamerica). The preferential treatment that Countrywide applied through its friends of Angelo program was unfair to the common citizen. The actions of this company were also hurtful to other stakeholder groups of Countrywide particularly the shareholders and employees. The stock price of the company plummeted by 86% and the firm fired 11,000 employees (Cengage). Angelo Mozilo is an example of everything that is wrong with corporate America. Companies that lack leadership such as Countrywide have a very low chance of succeeding in the long run. Cengage.com. Business Ethics Video: Countrywide Financial – Securities Fraud. Retrieved February 9, 2015 from

Microsoft updates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microsoft updates - Essay Example a. Windows Memory Diagnostic which scans the memory of the computer for errors. It is mostly applicable when a computer freezes abruptly, after RAM modules have been altered or after one upgrades the system. b. System Image Recovery is the other tool used when one wants to restore the system image. It is mostly applicable when other tools have failed to restore the system to its optimal functioning. Its only failure is that once it is used, it can only restore files and folders which were present at the time when the system image was formed. c. Mason et al., states that, System restore is used to restore the Windows system to earlier versions but does not alter user files. One only needs to choose a restore point where the configuration works properly (Mason et al., 2012). e. Command Prompt is used by advanced users in order to conduct recovery related tasks. However, it should only be used by advanced users, since its use without proper knowledge may aggravate the condition

The Australian Food Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Australian Food Industry - Essay Example The food industry in Australia produces a large quantity of a variety of products. Although the weather in the land down under is mostly dry, there is still a variety in the types of land and in the weather. There are areas that have tropical weather, coastal areas that experience much rain, and dry to medium dry areas. Each area uses the type of climate that they have to produce specific kinds of food products. With this variety of climate, combined with the recent development in food processing and technology, Australia has gained a reputation for being one of the steadiest food suppliers across the globe. (About Australia, 2008) As with most countries, Australia's food industry has been a massive contributor to its economic condition. Forty six percent of the retail profits across Australia for the years 2006 to 2007 have come from the food industry. There was a significant increase of 8% in the turn over from last year's production. In the year span of 1980s and 1990s, several varieties of industries were established due to new and pressing demands in the market. Some land-based fresh produce were brought to the market such as Asian vegetables, fruits and herbs. Atlantic salmon farming was also brought into the industry at that time, along with the catching of Bluefin Tuna that grew out of wild. Apart from these products, meats of kangaroos and crocodiles have gained popularity in recent times. The respective sub-industries of these foods have been trying to introduce more and more similar products into the Australian market, and the global market as a whole. (About Australia, 2008) Australian Processed Food There are several sub sectors in the processed food industry in Australia. These are bakery products, beverage and malt manufacturing, dairy products, flour mill and cereal food manufacturing, fruit and vegetable processing, meat and other meat products, oil and fat manufacturing, seafood processing, sugar and confectionery manufacturing, and other food manufacturing. The sheer number of sub-industries under the Australian food industry should be enough to tell us how flourishing this industry is. The industry with the largest revenue in 2005-2006 is the food and beverage industry. As earlier mentioned, the Australian food industry has been a large contributor to the country's economic standing. This is because the food industry provides businesses, jobs and regional development where it operates. Fifty of the country's biggest food and beverage companies are responsible for seventy-five percent of the income of the local industry. Supermarkets are responsible for the majority of sa les of food products in the country, where sixty percent comes from the sale of food and liquor in 2006-2007. (About Australia, 2008) The Organic Industry in Australia In recent times, there has been a huge demand for organic products to be released in to the markets, not only in Australia, but across countries as well. Major food companies, such as Nestle and Unilever were some of the first large companies to venture in to production of organic food across different processed food products. Australia has followed the trend through a small and significant, but quickly growing group of farmers producing organic products. The essence of organic foods is such that consumers are aware that they will be paying a

Law of contract Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law of contract - Case Study Example In this scenario,there are two questions which arise.First,is the price of 100 listed in the newspaper advertisement binding on Wedding Heaven in the event that they sell the dress.Secondly,does the delay of John cause him in law to have accepted the contract offer of the lower amount of 150In order to give effective analysis to this question it is important to look at relevant Irish case law on this issue in order to determine whether or not such actions constitute a binding contract enforceable in law. There are a number of leading cases in both the Irish jurisdiction and other common law jurisdictions, notably England, which need to be assessed in order to consider this question.This essay shall first analyse the formative components which are necessary for the formation of a contract. Secondly, after assessing the relevant law, these principles will be applied to the current scenario above. Finally, and in conclusion, this paper shall decide whether or not a claim exists in contr act law in the scenario again either Wedding Heaven, or John the DJ. We now turn to the basic contract law principles which currently exist in Ireland.First, we must look at the relevant contract law principles on order to ascertain the current state of the law in Ireland. There are a number of requirements necessary for the formation of a valid contract. This includes offer and acceptance, an intention to create legal relations; and finally consideration. It is the first two elements which this paper shall concentrate on. Offer It is important at the outset to distinguish between and offer and a mere invitation to treat. An offer is when the seller sets out in certain terms what they propose to sell to the potential buyer. In essence, it is the final set of terms which, if accepted by the buyer, would create a valid contract. However, an invitation to treat is not a formal offer, but rather an indication of intent to enter negotiations. It is not possible to accept a mere invitation to treat in order to create a binding contract. Therefore it is important to ascertain the exact intent of any representation as to whether it is a formal offer or simply a declaration of intent. Such declarations may be considered as offers under statute1 or common law2. In general, advertisements are considered to be an invitation to treat. In the English case of C.A. Norgren Co. v Tech-nomarketing,3 Walton J refused a committal order against one of the defendants for allegedly breaching an undertaking given to the High Court that the defendants would not "make, offer for sale, sell or distribute" items that were subject to copyright.4 The defendants distributed a price list and brochure, including an item covered by the undertaking. Walton J. upheld the contention of the defendant that, generally, the distribution of advertising material constituted an invitation to treat and was therefore not an offer. In order to gauge the intention of the seller, this can either be express by way of direct words, or implied by his actions. It has previously been held in case law that a personal quotation of the price of goods was merely an invitation to treat.5 Further, it has also been held that a display of goods for sale with the price labels attached is in all probability only an invitation to treat, whether the products are in a shop window, on a store shelf or indeed in a self-service store6. One of the leading cases is that of Fisher v Bell7 where a shopkeeper displayed in a knife with a price ticket in his shop window. He was charged with offering a flick knife for sale in contravention of the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 s1. It was however held that the shopkeeper was not guilty because displaying the knife in the shop window amounted merely to an invitation to treat. Accordingly, the shopkeeper had not offered the knife for sale within the 1959 Act. Further, In the leading English case of Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

A Taste of Honey Play Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Taste of Honey Play Analysis Essay A Taste of Honey is a play written by Shelagh Delaney. Shelagh Delaney was born on the 5th of November, 1939 in Salford, Lancashire. At eleven years old she failed to pass the examination that would allow her to enter a grammar school, and she went to a secondary school named Broughton. She was accepted into the grammar school at a later stage as she has proved herself to be intelligent. She was seen to be a late developer but by this time she had lost interest in her academic progress and so therefore did not continue on to higher education. Her first play was A Taste of Honey, which she wrote when she was 18, was accepted by a Joan Littlewood for production by Theatre Workshop Company. The first opening of the play was on the 27th of May at the Theatre Royal in East London. A Taste of Honey was transferred to West London on the 10the of February. For this play she received the Foyles New Play Award and an Arts Council Bursary. In the 1950s England was felling the effects of World War II, so when Shelagh Delaney wrote the play she had experienced World War II. Also because of the World War only lower/ middle class groups would watch the play. Another factor that has caused the play, A Taste of Honey, to be a great success is that it contained issues that were never openly discussed and were consider to be illegal. For example: homosexuality- this was never discussed openly and was considered very bad, racism- Black people or people that were coloured were also considered lower class. The mood, tension and suspense had been built up during the play. In Act 1 Scene 2 Jo meets with her boyfriend and during a conversation he asks her to marry him and she accepts his proposal even though he will be away on his ship for six months and so she will have to wait before he can marry him. She is given a ring by her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e which she wears around her neck instead of on her finger. This is because she doesnt want her mother to see the ring. Back in the apartment Helen tells Jo that she is going to marry Peter. Peter enters and Jo starts to shout at both Helen and Peter, while Helen is defending and attacking both Peter and Jo. Peter, however, is ignoring or criticising Jo and flattering Helen. Helen and Peter leave and Jos boyfriend arrives and keeps her company. On Helens wedding day Jo is feeling sick and cannot attend her mothers wedding. Helen then sees the ring around Jos neck and starts scolding Jo violently for think of marrying this young. Jo then asks about her father and Helen explains, and then runs off to her wedding. There is a lot that happens in this scene both Helen and Jo plan on getting married. And this has built up a lot of tension. But there moods with each other getting married are not positive. Helen is not happy with Jo considering marriage at such a young age. Jo is also not happy that Helen is marrying Peter but is unable to do anything about it. The timing of this happening is also coincidental as Helen and Jo both were planning to marry at the same time this cause the audience to build up suspense. The scene is ended with Helen leaving Jo behind this will leave the audience thinking of what is going to happen. The scene is ended with suspense so that the audience is egger for the next scene. Act 2 scene 1 begins and Jos pregnancy is quite obvious and her boyfriend has not returned. Jo and Geof, a boy she met in a fairground, return to Jos apartment. The scene beginning with Jo being obviously pregnant causes drama for the audience also Jos black boyfriend has not returned from his sale this make the audience think that the boyfriend will never return. Jo is currently living alone and is working in a shoe shop in the day and working at a bar in the evenings to pay the rent. This has set the mood of Jos environment to be busy and Jo seems to be very tired. As when she returns from the fair she falls onto her sofa as she is tired, she as says that she has to be up before half past seven. This makes us think that going to work is very necessary for her and she is finding it difficult. Geof, an art student, who had been thrown out of his lodgings, says that the reason he was thrown out was because he was behind on the rent. Jo challenges him and keeps on persisting that he is lying as she knows he is homosexual. She even states that I always wanted to know about people like you she offends Geof with her insensitive mocking and curiosity. She finally says that Geof should tell her why he was thrown out (even though she knows why she wants to hear it from Geof) or get out Geof heads for the door to leave and is stopped by Jo begging for him to stay, Geof Dont go. Dont go. Geof! Im sorry. Please stay. I think that this shows that Jo wants some company as she is alone and finding it difficult to pay for the apartment. Jo is not threatened by Geof staying in her apartment as he is homosexual and is therefore not physically attracted to her she also says, Thats why Im letting you stay here. You wont start anything. When Geof is with Jo the mood is peaceful and is not chaotic. Also, Jos character is different she is not as aggressive as before. The audience are interested in Geof as they want to know facts about him because of his homosexual personality. It might be that Geof was thrown out because he was homosexual and he doesnt want to admit that he is gay, also in that period of time homosexuality was wrong. After Jo apologises they start talking and tell each other that they like each other and they are becoming closer and their relationship develops. There mood has changed and they are now talking about each other and asking questions about there past. Geof brings up the subject of the baby and Jos mother, he thinks that Jo should tell her mother about her pregnancy. Jo replied Why? this shows that she still doesnt think that her mother should have nothing to do with Jos baby. Geof then goes on to ask what kind of woman is she and Jo replies by saying shes rich Geof says that she should be interested in her mothers money as she will be needing it later for the baby, as the baby will be costing Jo more money then she can afford. When Geof says that she will need baby clothes a cot and a pram, Jo replies by saying, Im not planning big plans for this baby or dreaming big dreams. This shows that Jo has thought that she will look after the baby with the barest amount of money. Jos character is strange in comparison to other mothers. Most mothers will be hoping for the best for their children. Jo, however, is not interested; she has no idea to look after a child as she has never been looked after by her mother very well. I found it strange when Geof says, Youre feeling a bit depressed, Jo. He was telling Joe how she felt and this shows that Geof is already having feelings for Jo. When Geof offers Jo a cigarette she declines it, she said she only smoked to annoy her mother. I think that this shows that Jo did things to annoy her mother to get revenge. Jos character to towards her mother does not change through out the play. Geof asks Jo about her black boyfriend when Jo answers the questions she is giving false answers. I think that she has forgotten about the boy and has moved on with her life. Geof sings two nursery rhymes; this lightens the mood and shows that Geof is still childish and young in heart. When Geoffrey and Jo go to bed Jo says, Youre just like a big sister to me. This shows that Jo has no sexual attractions towards Geof and sees him more like a friendly sister who looks after her. Jo comments on the childrens appearance, look at those filthy children. I think this is because as she is pregnant she is thinking about children and looking at other children on the streets. She then says that is there parents fault, but then says, His mother ought not to be allowed. Jo is referring to her own mother in a way as Jo was treated badly and sometimes thinks that her mother should not of had her. Geof is homosexual but still tries to kiss Jo and even asks to marry her. Jo declines, is it shown that Jo likes Geoffrey but she is not sexually attracted to him. I think that the reason Geof asked Jo to marry him is because he want to be normal or a least be treated normal. So if he gets married people wont think that he is homosexual and as Jo has a baby it will save him the trouble. Geof knows that if he stays with Jo his life is heading nowhere, but he wants to stay with Jo, Id sooner be dead than away from you. Geoffrey has grown a strong feeling for Jo and visa-versa, however, Jo likes him as a big sister. Helen enters the room and the mood has changed, that tension between Jo and Helen is now strong. Helen is not surprised that Jo is in bed, she thinks that Jo should still be going to work in her condition. Helens character is still expecting much of Jo even when Helen is sick she would ask Jo to do the work. Jo doesnt even welcome her mother politely, What blew you in? Helen assumes that Geoffrey is Jos boyfriend. While Helen and Jo argue Geof enters defending Jo but is shut up by both the ladies. Even with Jo in pregnancy Helen is still as violent she is throwing threats at Jo, Ill give you such a bloody good hiding in a minute Then Helen knows that she was right and told Jo not to get married at such an early age but gets into a mess none the less. Helen then says that she didnt come to argue but actually came to give money but Jo doesnt want it even when she needs it not from her mother anyway. Helen does care about her daughter but doesnt show it although she does show it more then Jo, Look at your arms. Theyre like a couple of stalks! she doesnt want her daughter to be unhealthy. When Peter enters, the mood changes everyone is concentrating on him and want him out of the room. It is obvious that Peter is not in love with Helen and it maybe that she is not in love with Peter it might be that she only married him for his money. When Drunken Peter enters he insults the other three, when he sees that Helen is giving his money away he is angry with Helen, Giving my money away again? Peter then takes his money back from Helen and therefore contradicting Helens offer of a home to Jo. When Peter leaves he calls Helen to com with her but she says no. Helen is unsure of her choice so asks Jo if she should stay with her and Jo replies no. I can see that Helen was unsure to make her decision and when she ask Jo and she said no she yelled out yes to Peter. When Peter asked Helen if shes coming she replied no, however, Peter still insists that Helen come with her. I think that even when he has lost interest in Helen he doesnt want to let her go, this is just like him and his money. Helens last act of affection is shown, she tells Geof to make sure that she goes to the clinic regularly. As soon as Helen leaves the mood has changed, it is back to that jokey mood with Jo and Geof. This is shown when Geof says that at least Helen left her some money but Jo says that Peter took it back but she has a cigarette for him. Geof replies, Oh, smashing I have noted that their moods change and they are back to their original state. This scene is one of the most relevant scenes in the whole play; it shows the relationship between Jo and Geof from when it first started to when they have a strong bond. It also is the first scene with homosexuality init so this is very appealing to the audience. It also is the scene when Helen finds out that Jo is pregnant and is therefore quite dramatic. This scene is very significant to the play as without this the scene it would not be as effective.

The Customer Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

The Customer Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay The marketing strategy explains the companys overall mission statement and future goals. Mostly marketing strategies are set with careful consideration by senior management. Marketing strategy must in cooperate the mission statement of the business. Shankar and Carpenter (2012, p.2) views marketing strategy as a broad plan of managerial initiatives and actions relating an organization to its customers and markets. Further states that there are three key aspects of marketing strategy as follows: Marketing strategy focuses on the strategic decisions necessary to allocate resources. It concerns managerial actions that have long-term effects. Decisions relating to marketing strategy are made by marketing executives in an organization and implemented by many others through the organization and beyond. Following are the four major activities involved in managing a customer-driven marketing strategy and the marketing mix are, i.e. Segmentation Targeting Differentiation Positioning Consumers are the centre of all marketing activity. The basic goals for all businesses are to create value for customers and build a strong profitable customer relationship. As stated by Kotler and Armstrong (2008, p.45) The marketing logic by which the company hopes to create this customer value and achieve these profitable relationships. Since the company owns the means of production it has the overall power to decide which customer to serve (segmentation and targeting) and how it will serve them (differentiation and Positioning). The business identifies the total market, then divides it into smaller segments, selects the most promising segments, and focuses on serving and satisfying customers in these segments in order to secure maximum profit. Using the market strategy the company then designs an integrated marketing mix made of factors under its control .i.e. Product , Place, Price, Promotion The four Ps. In order to find the best marketing strategy the company then uses market analysis, planning, implementation, and control. Through these activities fulfills the changes in demand from consumer behavior and adopts to the marketing environment. As stated by Mullins and Larreche (2006, p.3) IBMs competitive strategy was also quite consistent over the years, Given that the firm was never the lowest-cost producer in the industry, it did not try to compete with low prices. Instead, the firm pursued a quality differentiation strategy by offering superior products backed up by excellent technical service and selling them at premium prices. Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy In order to succeed in the modern competitive marketplace companies need to be customer centered, .i.e. they must fulfill the rapidly changing demands of the customer. Companies must draw the customer from competitor business, make them brand loyal and grow them by delivering greater value. Before anything a company must understand the needs and wants of its customers, only then it can fulfill by using the marketing strategy. Thus the company must use a careful market analysis. Market Segmentation The modern market is full of many types customers, products and needs. The company then determines which demand it can fulfill best and gain maximum benefits. Consumers are grouped in various ways geographic, demographic, psychographic, and products are made to fulfill their needs and wants. As stated by Kotler and Armstrong (2008, p.46) The process of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers who have different needs, characteristics, or behaviors, who might require separate products or marketing programs is called market segmentation. Market segmentation consists of consumers who adopt in a similar way to different marketing efforts. In the car market for example wealthy consumers own the top notch cars but still make up only one segment of the market. Then we consumers who are price conscious and make up another market segment. It would difficult to fulfill needs of both segmentations so companies focus on the needs of one segment. Market Targeting After a company has defined one of its market segments it can target different segments of consumers. Market targeting involves information of each market segment and then selecting one or more segments to enter. The company must target segments in which it can best fulfill the needs of consumers. Wise companies enter into a segment from which they can achieve success in gaining customer loyalty and sustain it over time. A company might use the strategy niche marketing and target only a few segments from which the major competitor over looked. Alternatively companies might serve different kinds of customers but with the same wants, .i.e. Coca Cola. Multi nationals may serve the needs of all market segments. Most companies enter the market serving only segment of the market but as they gain success they grow and target a range of segments. Companies that attain the most success will eventually have the means necessary to serve all segments of the market; these leading companies have the different product design for each different market segment. Market Differentiation and Positioning After a company has chosen its market segment to enter, it must be decide how it will differentiate its market offering from competitors and must have unique way of serving its chosen target segment in order to secure maximum profits. A products position is the place it has in place of its competitor in the minds of consumers. The position of the product is one of the most crucial things in order to get consumers to buy it and attain brand loyalty from them. If products were similar consumers would have no way of differentiating between products and thus there would be no need to buy it. Positioning is the business securing a unique space in the minds of consumers in comparison to competitors products. When positioning its products the company identifies the plus points it has in that segment that provides competitive advantage over competitor. The company can give greater value to customers at low prices in comparison to competitors and attain a unique position in the market and win consumer brand loyalty. If a company promises greater value then it must differentiate its product from competitors and must deliver greater value in order for the product to maintain position in minds of the consumers. Thus effective positioning begins with differentiation, actually differentiating the product so that it gives consumers more value. When a company has achieved a successful position it must make strong steps to deliver and communicate that position to target consumers. The entire marketing program of a company appreciates the chosen position strategy. Developing an integrated Marketing Mix After developing the market strategy the company begins to plan the details of the marketing mix. The marketing mix a set of controllable marketing tools that the firm uses to produce the response it wants to get back from the target market. The marketing mix is whatever a firm has the power to do in order to influence demand on its product. The marketing mix consists of the four Ps Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Product means the goods and services combination the company the target market. Price is the amount of money customers would have to pay to obtain the product. Different companies target different range of customers i.e. luxury car makers target the wealthy consumers. Place includes the different locations the companys product is available to target consumers. Promotion means attract consumers and persuades them to buy the product. Ferrell and Hartline (2011, p.17) explains, The role of social responsibility and ethics in marketing strategy has come to the forefront of important business issues in todays economy. Our society still reverberates from the effects of corporate scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and ImClone, among others. Although these scandals make for interesting reading, many innocent individuals have suffered the consequences from these companies unethical behavior.

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Essays -- War Worlds H.G. Wells Essays

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Homo-Superior? War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is a fiction story written about war and mankind’s coming of age. It is also a philosophical novel with many deep meanings underlying the shallow looking one-hundred-eighty-eight page book. The subject of this novel is Science Fiction and there are not many that can even compete with Wells in terms of how superior his word descriptions are. He simply does wonders with the imagination of the reader. Obviously the whole book is about the struggle mankind faces, but it is not always with aliens, they are actually more of a good way to represent what Wells really believed. He believed man is dominant, yet should remember how big the universe is and that the possibility of life far more intelligent than ours is very great. The narrator, who is also the main character tells War of the Worlds in first person. He describes everything from the man’s denial, to the invasion, the battles, and the aftermath. In the beginning he discusses the possibility of other life forms existing. When the aliens invade they do not communicate, just organize and destroy all resistance and population centers. The author journeys along all of England fleeing the invaders and always being updated from various people about the news. The climax comes when he walks into a town to find all the aliens dead from bacteria, and the denouement is when he finds his wife. The movie â€Å"Independence Day† is the best way to describe this story to someone who has never read the book before. The two are strikingly similar. In both the aliens invade without warning and destroy everything with their superior technology. People know about the aliens before they arrive ahead of time in each story, but do nothing because of denial and public hysteria. The study and autopsy of aliens are described in the two. There are differences though. There are no heroes in the book, but in the movie there are. Our technology is useless in the book and in the movie it wins it for us. In a sense the endings are the same because a computer virus is what causes the aliens’ shields to go down in the movie and biological viruses kill the aliens in the book. Still when I think about it, â€Å"Independence Day† is the best way to modernize the story. Pre World War One England is the setting for the story. It fits ... ... the stupidity and courage of men. He did a great job of doing both. This book is really a classic because so many people know about it and still read it today, and it is over a hundred years old! It reminds me of how the U.S is today. Sure we are the greatest nation on the planet, however we still need to be reminded that we do not control everyone. We should be more humble and that is how the author felt as well. All the time I see on the news how people rebel and complain about stuff. When it comes down to it they don’t do jack! They just want to bitch about how the system cheats them. There were characters in the book like this in the novel too. The most significant thing to me in the whole book, and I’m sure it is to most readers too, is the fact that germs killed the aliens. Not some secret weapon, or a hero, but the every day cold. This really humbles man. In the end there is hope. The hope that man finally understands that he is not so great and how lucky he can be. Hope that we will learn from our mistakes and take them to heart so that if this happens again, we will be ready. So the one question remains, and I leave it up to you†¦are we Homo-Superior?

greek vase painting Essay -- essays research papers fc

Greek Vase Painting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In modern society, Greek pottery is considered an art which is regarded as much for its aesthetic splendor as its historical significance. However, the role of pottery in ancient Greek culture was far more functional as its primary use was for the transportation and storage of such liquids as water and wine (Encyclopedia Britannica). Due to the durability of the fired clay material, Greek pottery is the only remaining art form that allows us to explore the evolution of this ancient culture. Through that examination, three distinct stylistic periods have been unveiled: Geometric, Orientalizing and Archaic. This analysis will detail these distinct periods as well as three design techniques prevalently used: black figure, red figure and white ground   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first definable period of Greek pottery, Geometric (c. 900-700 BCE), accounts for the majority of ancient vase painting still in existence today; and as such, affords us the broadest view into this art form. The period attributes its name to the geometric forms that artists used to detail their vessels. The primary decorative motifs that distinguish the period include parallel lines, concentric (Metropolitan Museum of Art) rituals as depicted in this Krater from 750 BCE which is characteristic of this era. The primary scene that occupies the widest portion of this particular vase depicts a deceased body placed on its side on a funeral bier surrounded by family members and mourners. The secondary zone below details a procession of horse drawn chariots and soldiers carrying hourglass shields. The illustration of people and animals is both abstract and two-dimensional as artists of the Geometric era regularly used triangular torsos and long thin arms and legs (Stokstad, 160).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second distinct period which originated in Corinth in 700 BCE and spanned one hundred years is now known as the Orientalizing period. This period gets its name from the introduction of Egyptian and Eastern influences on Greek pottery during this time. The impact of foreign styles lead to the introduction of the black-figure technique that has come to epitomize the era. In Black-figure painting, figures and ornaments were drawn in silhouette on the natural clay surface of the vase ... ...des us with a glimpse into the ancient culture using beautiful and detailed designs. The art form has been sustained in fired clay for thousands of years indiscriminately telling its story to the world and to history. Bibliography 1.Chamoux, Francois. The Pallas Library of Art: Greek Art. Greenwich, New York. Graphic Society. 1966. 2. Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York, New York. Harry Abrams, Inc. 2002. 3. â€Å"Black Figure.† http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/ASP/OpenDictionary.asp?name black-figure.html 10 November 2004. 4. â€Å"Red Figure.† http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/ASP/OpenDictionary.asp?namered- figure.html 10 November 2004. 5. â€Å"Orientalizing.† http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/Pottery/Lecture1/Script/GreekPaintedPottery1.asp 30 September 2004. 6. â€Å"Greek Pottery.† http://www.search.eb.com/search?query=pottery&ct=eb 11 November 2004. 7. â€Å"Greek and Roman Art.† http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewHigh.asp?dep=13&full=0&set=3 11 November 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Democracy in Iraq :: essays research papers

Democracy in Iraq The date is March 20, 2003; American forces enter Iraq in the form of air strikes over the capital city of Baghdad. The night sky lights up from anti-aircraft fire from Iraqi sites. The echoing sound of bombs and heavy explosions tremble in the night sky that knew of silence just decades ago. Now eighteen months have pasted, the regime is overthrown, and over one thousand American soldiers have lost their lives in the battle for Democracy in the Middle East. Everyday the numbers of American deaths spent to create Democracy increase. And everyday the number of dollars spent to create Democracy increase. Is it really a possible goal? Can the Americans establish Democracy in Iraq? The five fundamental ideals of Democracy support the common man, but in Iraq is this really what the common man wants? "It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose." ~ Judge William Young in trial against Richard Reid (charged for intent to blow up jumbo jet on January 30, 2003. Reid used to be Iraqi citizen. This quote is said by an American judge who shares the passion that is needed for a democracy to work. ) Democracy requires freedom for all that is the foundation that a Democratic government is based on. This individual freedom can be restrained, but it can never be taken away. In Iraq the government that once controlled all people was a dictatorship led by Saddam Hussein. This government exists when those who rule do so without regard for the will of their constituents. This type of government does not take responsibility for its policies or the ways that the policies are carried out. The dictatorship form of ruling started with the famous Julius Caesar, dictatorships were common because of simplicity. The ideal of individual freedom was and is not present in dictatorships because the men in charge did not believe it to be a significant value to try to preserve. Throughout America's history, our democratic government, one where you can go where you will, leave when you will, and do as you will, has been looked up to by others. Iraq is a country marked by killing and bloodshed, a part of life which the citizens know and understand; there democracy is not yet the solution.

Unit 1 Cache Level 3 in Childcare and Education

E1/E2 – Three different types of settings which provide care and education for children in the Birmingham area Primary School A primary school is a statutory sector which is funded by the government through payment of taxes. By law, this service must be made available to young children in the UK. The targeted age of children that attend Primary school ranges from 5 to 11 years of age. A Primary school is a structured environment which helps support young children to develop and perfect basic skills needed in life; some of which are: reading, writing, and social skills.Primary School starts at 9am and ends at 3:30pm depending on a breakfast or after school clubs. Like any other organization, there is an organizational structure by which each school must have. Within a Primary School, one will find a Head Teacher, Class Teachers, Dinner Ladies, Care Takers, Cleaners, Cooks, a Chef and also Teacher Assistants whom help to keep order and maintain a class room in a Teacher’s absence. Teachers within a Primary School are obligated by law to teach from the National Curriculum which is distributed to every Primary School. The ratio of teachers to children is twenty-eight to thirty.A primary school also helps support parents and families, for example; while the parents are at work their child and/or children are at school in a safe environment whilst gaining an education parents can work and provide a better quality of life for their families. Play group A play group is a voluntary sector. A voluntary sector is a service provided by organisations such as charities where some or all of their funding come from donations the practitioners here often give their time freely but must be trained to level 3 in childcare and education or working towards it.The age range of children in a play group is two to three years old and children have to be dry throughout the day (being potty trained). Play groups are free and are two hours a day twice a week and can be done anytime throughout the day. Staffs at play groups are voluntary. All the staff at a playgroup is trained to a Level 3 in Childcare and Education and is required to have a Criminal Record Bureau Check. With the play groups, parents have to stay and allowed to help but must have a Criminal Record Bureau Check also.This setting supports families in the community if they are feeling isolated mums can socialise and chat about problems that other mums may be experiencing too. A variety of activities are done in a play group (e. g. painting, story time, colouring time) helping children with their social skills which helps them in moving into educational nursery at 3 to 4 years old. Play groups are supportive for parents because they help Moms and Dads to share problems with other people with rather similar or same experiences, have a cup of tea or just talk with other parents.Private Day Nursery A private day nursery is a private sector which is a profit making service. A private day nurse ry opens from 7am and closes at about 6:30pm parents pay a weekly or monthly fee. The age range of children in a private day nursery is three months to five years old. The staff at a private day nursery â€Å"Nursery Officers† has to be trained in Level 3 Childcare and Education. Children within a private day nursery are split into four different age ranges.Three months to five months are in Baby Room where there is allowed one staff member to three babies. Twelve months to twenty-four months are in Toddle Room, two to three years old are in Tweenies and three to five years old are in Pre-School. A private day nursery help supports parents because it is more family orientated and the setting is very much like what parents do at home with their child or children (e. g. caring, bottle feeding, changing nappies).A private nursery also supports professional parents who can afford to pay to take their child to a day nursery and don’t have to give up their work (e. g. doctor s, entrepreneurs, nurses) to start a young family. E3- Describe the main legislation in your country that supports the rights of children. There are four main Legislation that deal with children’s welfare within the Birmingham City that supports the rights of children and these Legislations are: Children Act 1989- (Partnership with parents is crucial)The Children Act 1989 introduced â€Å"parental responsibility† not just parental rights so therefore statutory services like schools and nurseries must include â€Å"Partnership with Parents† Within my setting and by the Children Act 1989 that came in to force in England and Wales in 1991 it is important for the practitioner to be in partnership with parents. This is to ensure that the needs, interest and decisions of the child comes first and are being met. Also, it is by law that parents be responsible and knows everything about their child when they are away from them or home.This can be done by having a two way relationship with parents for example parent’s evenings, this is when staff discusses children’s progress open days so parents can come in be welcomed and look around their child’s school or nursery. There can be coffee mornings, sharing information or just giving feedback to parents when they pick their child up from school at the end of the day. The welfare of the child is paramount and that is why partnership with parents is crucial.Many schools and nurseries also have bi-lingual staff for children who do not speak English fluently so that the parents are fully aware of what is going on in a school at all times this helps to meet the Equal Opportunity policy of the setting. Children Act 2004- (Stay Safe) The five outcomes of Every Child Matters are the central focus of the Children Act 2004. This Act is the amendment of the Children Act 1989 which came about because of the death of Victoria Climbie who was tortured and murdered in 2000 by her great Aunt and even though lots of professionals dealt with the case it still led to her death.The Lord Laming Inquiry made changes in schools because he felt that organisations were not working together to support young venerable children in the setting. The Children Act 2004 was made to ensure that services for children and young people worked together to make sure children are safe and their well-being is adhere to. For example one of the outcomes is â€Å"Stay Safe† in Every Child Matters and is of utmost importance. Within my setting as a practitioner you are to make sure that children within the setting are safe by following the Health and Safety policies.For example, knowing what allergies as a practitioner that a children or children may have within your setting or making sure that the right person â€Å"Parental Responsibility† picks them up from school at the end of the day. Childcare Act 2006- (Local authorities must improve the outcomes for all children under (5) five. Th ey must take the lead role to meet the needs of working parents, in particular those on low incomes and disabled children). The Childcare Act 2006 came into force from Autumn 2007. The main part of this Act is the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights.The (EYFS) Early Years Foundation Stage came out of the Childcare Act 2006. The main reasons why the Childcare Act 2006 came into force were: To ensure that local authorities improve the outcomes for children and young people under (5) five years and this must be available despite the area in which they live. This affected the curriculum taking into account children’s rights and backgrounds for example the EYFS is taken into account and reformed simplified children and early year’s regulations farceur to reduce bureaucracy and focus on raising equality.Schools made sure children were heard their cultures celebrated for example displays were bi-lingual Sure Start centres supported families that were in deprived areas whilst mum was in the setting learning English for example a child could go to the playgroup at the same time. If a mum could learn English she could gain employment and this seemed to be the idea to help and support the whole family. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – (Enough Food and clean water for their needs) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1991The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a complete set of rights. This legislation was authorized on the 16th December 1991 and it came into force in the UK on 15 January 1992. This legislation ensures that the children and young people’s rights are upheld, giving them the rights to: protection and assistance, access to educational and health services, to develop their personalities and abilities to their fullest potential, live in a happy environment with love and care and understand their rights.This helps pre vent children from being miss treated, abused and neglected from their basic needs and rights, therefore providing them with the support and opportunities that each child/young person should rightfully have. Article 28 â€Å"A child’s right to education with access to equal opportunities. † So as with other children’s laws, schools must take into account culture, different religions, and language barriers so that all children regardless of their ability can be fully included in their setting. http://www. dcsf. gov. uk/everychildmatters/strategy/strategyandgovernance/uncrc/unitednationsconventionontherightsofthechild/ (accessed on)E4- Describe the recognise principles and values that underpin working with children. Two recognised principles and values that underpin working with children are: The CACHE Statements of values to reflect the early year’s sector’s standards of conduct. The CACHE values are important as they represent the professional way of how professionals and practitioner should work with children, young people and their families. A CACHE value that underpins working with children is, ‘Honour the confidentiality of information relating to the child and their family, unless its disclosure is required by law or is in the best interest of the child. It is by law that the practitioner and professionals follow and sign the Data Protection Act 1998. This is to ensure the protection of personal information and the information stored on a person must not be given out without that person saying so. Also, nor should it be kept for longer than necessary. Whatever is said within a setting stays in a setting in doing so, practitioners must be aware of the information you give out too. For example all documents are kept under lock and key in the staff office and only looked at on a â€Å"need to know† basis for example in a case where a child is at risk of abuse.Keeping the child’s information confidential is to ensure the safety of that child but also, some information for the child must be given to ensure the child’s health is not at risk for example, if that child has an allergy to certain foods or is an asthmatic this information needs to be shared with staff that deal with that child so they can support the child if they have an attack. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – ‘A Unique Child’ As a practitioner it is your duty and responsibility to treat each all children in the setting as individuals therefore a ‘Unique Child’.Children are all different and have different religions, backgrounds, race, and personalities and celebrate different events. The diversity of persons and communities is highly valued and respected. Neither child nor family should be discriminated against. Within many settings there are children who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) and English as an Additional Language (EAL). It is then there when you as a practitio ner to ensure that Equality and Diversity is shown. Throughout the setting and ensure that children regardless of ability enjoy a full educational life which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual.You as a practitioner must also encourage children to recognise their own unique qualities and their characteristics and share them with others. In return, this can help the setting and the children within the setting understand and accept the differences of others and respect them. Also within the schools they are to ensure that children’s needs are being met, by bringing in other professionals to help with the child. Within my setting, a speech and language therapist came in to work with one of the children within my setting because the child has dyspraxia and in doing so she comes every other week.Being the student practitioner the placement supervisor in my setting let me set one day and observe and learn about what she does with the child so that when she isn’t there I can help and work with her that the child to help them with Specific Mind imperilment, Building Language Develop and Speech Work with Vowels Sounds, using big mouth pictures and other activities. E5- (throughout) E6 – Describe three (3) professional skills that will support your work with children. Member of a team Practitioners must work as a member of a team. Practitioners who work well together make it happy, organised and easy going.Where team members work together well it is important to ensure that the individuality of children’s needs is being met. Practitioners know the procedure and routines that are to be done within the setting for example, if a staff member is ill or just feeling very poorly, other staff can easily fill in or cover for her knowing the procedures to be taken place. As a practitioner being an effective member of a team is important to make it easy going, share knowledge and information but not only that, but to show a nd set an example to children of working as a team and making a positive contribution to your setting as good role models.Communication Skills There are three types of communication verbal non-verbal and written. Practitioners speak to parents with respect no use of jargon or rudeness they may not know childcare as detailed as staff members. If there is any kind of language barriers then an interpreter will be supporting the parent as everyone must be included within the setting. Also, nonverbal communication is gestures for example a smile to greet a parent or child in the morning is important as is the Dress code wearing a uniform to look professional gives a good impression to everyone.Written communication will be in the forms of letters again these should be bi-lingual and represent all the children’s languages that attend the setting. Communication skills are also relevant to ensure that the children’s safety and security are maintained within their homes and at school. Having the skill to put the child’s needs first It is important that a child’s needs are recognised and prioritised early. Practitioners should be able to empathise with the child in order for the situation to be resolved as it provides understanding and recognition of individual needs of a child.If a child had a new baby in their family for example and their behaviour changed this could be resolved in the setting if the practitioner used play, in the role play area the child could play with the baby dolls discuss their feelings one to one with the practitioner and the practitioner could encourage the parents to help the child by asking the child to help with changing baby for example to make the child feel important and raise their self-esteem. Also an ethical issue which should be abided with at all times when working with children is confidentiality.Staff should never gossip about children in front of others information should be kept under â€Å"lock and k ey† in the setting and only available to staff on a â€Å"Need to know† basis for example if there was a concern over a child in the practitioners care. Children have many different backgrounds therefore to feel their needs are first the setting should welcome their culture, background and religion and celebrate it. A child who has their background in the setting e. g. Cultural Displays or books that are bi-lingual for children for whom English is an additional language will feel very much valued by the practitioners in the setting.Interpersonal Skills As a practitioner interpersonal skills is an everyday life skill that we are to use to interact with parents, other practitioners and other professionals. This skill not only includes communicating, but also helps with our self-confidence and the ability to listen and understand. Problem solving, making decisions and personal stress management are also deliberated as interpersonal skills. Being aware of your interpersonal skills can help you improve and develop being more perceived as calm, confident and charismatic. These qualities are often appealing to others.E7- Three Study Skills that can support you’re learning during training. Time Management As a practitioner it is essential to have good time management skills. In order to be punctual, be a positive role model, meet assignment deadlines, and prepare for an exam or to plan, one must have good time management skills. Developing time management skills is a journey and needs practice and guidance along the way. Time management skills help student practitioners to become aware of how they use their time wisely for example in organizing, prioritizing and succeeding in their studies.In the setting for example the staff need the trainee students to arrive on time so that they can set them routines or prepare the setting for the children to arrive this gives a good impression to parents, children and colleagues. Research Skills While on placem ent as a student or practitioner, it is important to have good research skills. In order to do so, you must be able to find good solution or sources needed to find any relevant information. Some sources of information are internet websites, leaflets and journals, libraries, magazines and newspapers, books and museums.By looking at these forms of information the trainee practitioner can then find out current information on childcare issues especially for assignments. Learning Styles As a practitioner and student, it is important to know that everyone processes information differently and learns individually too. It is important that you notice the way in which you learn and study. These traits are referred to as learning styles. Knowing your learning style can support you when revising or learning for tests. There are three types of learning tyles often used or talked about which are: †¢Auditory – learn by listening. †¢Kinaesthetic- learns by moving or doing †¢V isual- learns by watching As kinaesthetic learner, I process information and knowledge easily by physical sensations and communicate using body languages and gestures. I like to show people how to do something than telling them and enjoys feeling and touching things. D1 – Explain why the practitioner should develop and maintain appropriate relationships with parents and other professionals.As a practitioner maintaining appropriate relationships with parents, students and other professionals is important. One of the most relevant skills is learning how to stay professional while being friendly. Children Maintaining appropriate relationships with children is crucial often practitioners will get down to a child’s level have eye contact and are approachable. The practitioner needs to build up a close bond with the child but not take over or try to be a parent. The reasons practitioners build a relationship are to build trust and raise a child’s confidence.It is impo rtant to bond with a child so they can discuss anything that is bothering them e. g. not being able to complete work or worrying about a home situation. If the practitioner knows the child is falling behind in their work they can get support from other professionals if needs be such as a child psychologist to ensure that the child reaches their full potential. Ultimately a child needs to be happy in their setting and want to be there so the practitioner should be caring and supportive at all times. Parents Having appropriate relationships with parents is very important.The term ‘friendly but not friends’, is often used when having professional relationships with parents. â€Å"Partnership with parents† is crucial and that is why appropriate relationships are needed to meet the Every Child Matters outcomes/Children Act 2004 by law. Practitioners need to include parents so if they are worried they can discuss issues with the practitioner parents need to feel practi tioners consider their needs for example if parents wish their child to be vegetarian due to religious views the setting must make sure this is in place.Trust is important so staff follows the confidentiality policy and signs this when they start at the setting, if staff â€Å"gossip† about parents then trust would not be formed and parents would not share vital information with the practitioners. Often there are coffee mornings open days and parents at the setting who come in to support the children all must have a CRB. Other Professionals Having an appropriate relationship with other professionals is not only by law of the Children Act 2004, but to help the practitioner ensure of the safety policies for children within the setting.There are many other professionals that help to ensure that children reach their full potential which are translators, speech therapist, psychologist and much more as practitioners are not trained in every area of childcare. Other practitioners co me with a range of skills to support children with differing needs they often share skills and knowledge and are able with meetings to discuss and plan for a child with special needs not only with students but with other professionals. Tassoni etal ( 2007 pg. 1) â€Å" â€Å"With many services coming together in a multi-agency approach, it is essential that everyone working with children and their families communicates well and understands their roles and responsibilities. † Respect should be part of this relationship as both the other professional and the practitioner need to work well to meet the needs of the child. The child needs support to be fully included in a setting and their parents are supported to in a â€Å"multi-professional† approach to care.For parents and children to get the best resources and support for aids in the home benefits, or activities within the setting the relationship between the practitioners must be excellent. For example if the practit ioner is supported this will give them job satisfaction knowing they can support a child. D2 – Discuss the characteristics of working in a multi-agency team. The term ‘multi-agency’ is when if a child who attends the setting has a disability they may need support this could be numerous professionals may be involved in the supporting of children and their families.With this type of approach used as support for children and their families, there are lots of benefits. Multi agency meets the needs of and supports individual children to be fully included in their nursery or school work or to support a parent in a stressful family circumstance. Many parents may feel isolated with a child who has special needs. Tassoni etal ( 2007 pg 11) â€Å" In practice, this may mean that parents may be able to leave their children in a nursery while in the same building or nearby they attend a parenting class or take a younger baby to the health clinic. In the setting a parent can have specialist training such as learning English as an additional language while their child is at the setting in the playgroup this then gives parents the chance to seek employment with their new skills. The ‘multi-agency approach’ having another professional is useful to the practitioner in helping children reach their full potential. For example if a speech and language therapist came into the setting they would support a child and the practitioner could pick up ideas to support the child within the setting.It also helps professionals and practitioners are aware of each other’s role, in supporting families giving job satisfaction communication is important by getting regular meetings or phoning parents to attend this would help support everyone. B – Explain why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with young children. Two reasons why it is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their role when working with young children are: Follow Policies and ProceduresWithin my setting practitioners should follow policies and procedures to ensure the safety or children because children are vulnerable and their safety is mandatory and conforming to legislation. Not only is it law to ensure the safety of the children but of the staff as well. To ensure the safety of children the â€Å"Every Child Matters† outcomes are also necessary to ensure a child’s safety. Some Policies and Procedure that the setting should follow are; †¢Health and Safety Policy †¢Equal Opportunities Policy †¢Safeguarding PoliciesTo ensure Health and Safety within my setting, at my placement, if a child has bumped their head, the practitioner goes directly and attends to the head bump, apply a cold compress to the head bump, write the accident into the medical or accident book, send a letter home to parents letting them know that their child has had a he ad bump today and tell the child’s parent to observe the child closely for 48 hours to see if the head bump has changed or worsen. Also if the bump is serious the child must be taken to casualty immediately by a designated staff member.Also, to ensure equal opportunity in my setting and at my placement, a practitioner should not treat children like they are all the same. They should treat children as a â€Å"unique child† and individuals. Therefore the setting will support children regardless of their background ability or culture and celebrate Diversity in displays in activities for example if there is a language barrier an interpreter would be needed for the child to translate no child should be disadvantaged because of their language. Conforming to Legislation Every setting should follow all childcare legislation including policies and procedures.When every member of staff starts at the setting they need to be made aware of the codes of practice. Within the setting, there is a code of practice that is a document with professional standards that the employee should meet which are: †¢keeping confidentiality †¢Dress code †¢arriving on time †¢Health and safety e. g. washing hands –being a good role model. When I started at my setting, I had to find out about a number of policies and procedure like health and safety, equal opportunities, and safe guarding so I knew what I had to do if anything happened.At my placement, to ensure safe guarding, if anything has happened to the child that is deemed the child is at risk, the safe guarding person should be contacted immediately. Also, for persons coming within my setting to work with children they should have a CRB Check, doors codes and most importantly practitioners should know who picks a child up at the end of the day for example who has â€Å"Parental Responsibility† Children Act 1989 /2004. Schools should know which parent has parental rights or parental responsib ility to ensure the child’s safety.If someone else is picking up a child the parents must inform the setting of this and state who is coming and they have a code to collect the child. This is part of safeguarding the child and makes sure no child is put at risk. Tassoni etal (2007 pg 100) â€Å"Every setting will have a child protection policy. You will need to find out whether you need to wear a badge, how to sign in and also in what situations you may work with children. † C – Explain why the early year’s practitioner should listen to children’s views and value their opinions. Self EsteemOnce a child has established what they think they are like, they then consider whether they are happy with the result. Having a high self-esteem is being happy about your where as having a low self-esteem one can feel as if they are not measuring up. As a practitioner you should always encourage and promote high self-esteem. Ways in which you can do so are by giv ing a child one to one help, praising them and most importantly listening to a child who isn’t happy and also, take time to support them. We can also do this by taking a child into another room, using a persona doll or just doing special activities with everyone in the class.Trust Children and young people must feel as if they can trust you as a practitioner. For young people, trust means knowing that someone believes you and is also approachable. As a practitioner children often need to build a close bonding relationship with you so the child can express their feelings and concerns with you so that the practitioner can help to or make them feel better. Culture It is relevant that not only are a child’s needs are met, but that their customs and wishes are fit of the parents. As a practitioner you are to be aware of that all children come from different backgrounds.The celebrating of different religions and events from different backgrounds should be celebrated within y our setting to promote equality and diversity. As a result, children will have different views and opinions and needs within the setting for example, in a Muslim’s religion, they don’t eat pork. As a practitioner you will need to make sure that they don’t eat pork but offer an alternative menu. Involving a child’s culture or religion within the setting with doing certain activities a child will feel the practitioner valuing their parent’s culture or religion and they will feel valued too because of this. Child ProtectionWithin every setting there is a child protection policy. As a practitioner it is relevant to be aware of how to keep children within the setting safe. By law (Children Act 1989) practitioners should work with partnership with other professionals and parents to keep children safe and ensure that they achieve their full potential. In keeping child safe, you would have to keep them from abuse. Children within the setting often tell pra ctitioners things that may raise concerns and you may have to relate it back to the Safe-guarding officer at the school but to ensure that you keep the children aware of what is going on.As a practitioner you are not allowed at some setting to be alone in a setting with a child for not only are you protecting the child, but you are protecting yourself as well. Some ways in which we can protect children within the setting are: * Having visitors sign in and out of the setting * Avoid physical contact with children * Looking around the placement before break time for any dangers within the setting * Knowing who picks up the child at the end of the day.